Geared locomotive engine construction



Oct. 6, 1931. D. B. THORBURN ET AL GEARED LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE CONSTRUCTION3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June '15, 1928 lNVE AT o RNEYS Oct. 6, 1931. D.B. THORBURN ET AL GEARED LOCOMOTIVE ENGiNE CONSTRUCTIQN Filed June 15,1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR a a A. B y; I ATTORNEYs Oct. 6, 1931. D.B. THORBURN ET AL 1,825,292

I GEARED LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jun 15 1928 s Sheets-Sheetmvz Patented Oct. 6, 1931 NITEED STATES DAVID B. .THORBUR-N AND ROBERTB. K-RUEGr-ER, .OF LIMA, .OEHZIG .GEARED ,IzOGOMOTIVE ENGINEGONSERUCTION Application filed June 15, I928. SofialNo. 285,560.

This invention relates 'toengine construction and is particularlyapplicable to geared locomotives. In such locomotives, the engineordinarily comprises several cylinders mounted vertically on one side ofthe boiler todrive a common crankshaft havinggeared connections to theseveral axles of the trucks.

Heretofore, in such engines, steam distribution to, and exhaust from,the cylinders has presented certain problems which have necessitated theuse of slide-valves instead of the more 'eilicient and desirablepiston-. valve construction, the admission and exhaust connections tothe valve chests being 13 by avay of-a so-calletVsteam bracket. Thisbracket, as ordinarily used, is a 'long casting secured to the side 0fthe boiler, longitudinally thereof, on which the cylinders :andvalve-chests are mounted, having "aPpluraIity so of passages :thereinwith lateral openings into theva lve-chests fOIStQZLIIITQJdmlSSlOIIQJIId exhaust from the ends :of the cylinders. Thewholeconstruction has been'heavy and cumbersome, and inconvenient ofaccess,'and-has 2 5 complicated the steam and exhaust connections. v

We aim by our invention to obviate "the foregoing and otherdisadvantages, 'and ein general to improve gearedlocomotive'engineconstruction. More specifically, we :provide a cylinder and valve-chestconstruction capable of readier application to and removal from thelocomotive than *those heretofore employed, one 'of which lends itselfto the employmentol piston valvesand :provides a high degree orflexibility of arrangement as regards the ilocation 'or positioning o'f:the steam and exhaust connections, and one which is invertible, thussavoiding the necessity of providing the 'usual 'right and leftco1-1structions,tthe "former for-the =forward and middle cylinders, and-the latter for thetrearcylinder.

How we accomplish the "foregoing, to gether with such other advantagesas are 'incident *to the inventionor which will occur *to those skilled"in the art, will be evident from the =following description, =talrentogether with the accompanying drawings, in whidh: i

Figure 1 is :a'transverse sectional view of .a geared locomotive Of thevertical engine type, with certain parts broken away to illustrate theapplication of the {present invention, some portions of the locomotivestructure 5s being emitted to avoid complication of the drawing;

Figure 2 is an enlarged-side elevation of the cylinder and valve-chest-structure of the present invention, taken giirom the uight oil-Fig.1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the valve-chest of :thecylinder -.atthe left of Fig. "2 ?(the rear cylindert showing certainassociated parts :a-nd

Figure 4 is a transverse mid-section through the middle cylinderof :Fig.2, with certain associated par-ts zin elevation.

In Fig. l We have illustrated (somewhat diagrammatically) :a gearedengine having wheels 2, 2, side irame members 3, 3, transverseframemembersl, 5, boiler%6,and=cab :7, the boiler "being :o'fi' centre withrespect to the Wheels in order @to provide v:for the mounting oif'theengines and driving mechanism at the right side. Any suitable supportingstructure such'asthecr ank-shaftbe aringsupport 8, cross-head guides 9.,.9, strengthening rib 10, and bracketdike structure 11, is secured-tothe locomotive (beneatheach cylin den) preferably :by attachmentdirectly to the frame structure by bolts 12., 13. The cross-headsfno'tshown) move vertically in the guides.9,:-9,and areconnected byiheusualconnecting rods to' the cranksof a crankeshaft (not shown) the bearingsof which are mounted in the recesses 14 at the bottom of themember8,said latterzmember usually extending as airame-like piece alongthelengthof therow of cylinders. Power is applied to the wheels, in a manner wellknown in this art, through the intermediation of bevelled iii 7 gears.'To position the cylinders as close together as posslble, soas toshorten the crankshaft common to them all, the valve chest of 1 one ofthe end cylinders as shown in Fig.2) must 'be reversed 'in position withrespect to the other chests, which ordinarily requires two 'difierentcylinder and chest constructions.

The cylinder and valve-chest construction of the present inventionillustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, is as follows:

Each cylinder 15 has flanged ends 16, 16, or other means whereby it mayconveniently be secured to or mounted on the bracket or support 11, byeither end, the end not so mounted being closed by a head or cap 17.Extending laterally from the cylinder, and preferably formed integraltherewith is a valve-chest 18 having a bore 19 adapted to receive anysuitable bushing structure and piston valve (not shown), each valvebeing operable by a valve rod 20 (see dig. 2) extending down through the'iaclzing gland 21 formed in the valvechest bottom end cover plate 22.The opposite end of the chest is closed by a cover plate 23. The valvechest communicates with the cylinder at each end thereof through a port24.

Intermediate the ends of the chest s a steam inlet 25. and beyond eachend of the bore 19 is an exhaust space 26, the two exhaust spaces orcavities being connected by a longitudinal passage 27 in theconduit-like portion 28 of the casting. Ateach end of the exhaustconnecting passage 27 is a port 29. The outside ends of inlet 25 andoutlets 29 it will be observed are all positioned in one plane on oneside of the cylinder and valvechest unit. so that the machining thereofmay all be accomplished in one operation. Suitable flanges 3O 4i) and 31(see Fig.

or other connecting means, may be provided for connecting the steam andexhaust elbows 30a, 31a, respectively, by bolts 32 and 33. IVepreferably connect an exhaust elbow to but one of the ports 29, theother being closed by a cover plate 34. However, a pair of exhaustpipes. or a double exhaust connection. may be employed if desired, or ifan extremely low exhaust pressure is necessary.

The steam and exhaust elbows for each cylinder may be connected to mainsteam and exhaust pipes 35 and 36 extending longitudinally ot the boilerbetween the latter and the row of cylinders, or any other suitable meansof steam and exhaust distribution may be employed, it being evident thatour im proved cylinder construction provides for great flexibility ofarrangement of such connections.

It will now be further evident that this cylinder and valve-chestconstruction provides a device capable o't inversion in position. sothat the same casting may be used for the rear cylinder (the one at theleft of Figure 2) as for the middle and forward cylinders, or, in otherwords, that the cylinder may be mounted on its support by either end,the chest end plate 22 being secured on the bottom and the chest andcylinder end plates -3 and 17 being secured on the top, and the exhaustbeing connected either at top or bottom as found most desirable, or atboth ends, at will.

In brief, we have provided an engine made up of counterpart unitscapable of reversal with means for taking the exhaust of both ends offat either end, and thereby made actually practicable the use of inside-admission and outside-exhaust piston valves in a geared locomotive.

Various modifications may, of course, he made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention, as, for example, the reversal of thecylinders so as to bring the inlet and exhaust connections to the outerside of the row of cylinders instead ot the inner, in which case itmight be desirable to mount the cylinders closely adjacent to the boilerand at an angle from the vertical.

lVhat we claim is 1. A steam engine cylinder and valve-chestconstruction having means whereby the exhaust from both ends may bedischarged laterally at either end. i

Q. In a locomotive, a plurality of counterpart cylinder and valve-chestunits, one of which is reversed with relation to the rest whereby itscylinder portion is brought into juxtaposition with the cylinder portionof an a di acent unit.

3. A geared locomotive engine construction including a plurality ofcylinders with their valve-chests, positioned vertically side by side,each cylinder with its chest being reversible end for end.

4. A geared locomotive engine construction including a plurality ofcylinders with their valve-chests. each cylinder with its chest beingreversible en d for end and having means for conducting the exhaust fromboth ends ofl laterally at either end.

5. A geared locomotive engine construetion including a plurality ofcylinders with their valve-chests; each cylinder with its chest beingreversible end for end and having means for mounting the same at eitherend.

6. In a locomotive, a row of counter-part cylinder and valvechest unitspositioned side by side. one of which is reversed with re ation to therest. and means whereby steam and exhaust connections may be secured toeach unit in the same relative positions with relation to said rowregardless of the reversal of a unit.

7. A geared locomotive engine construction with vertically positionedjuxtaposed cvlinders each having a central admission and end exhaustpiston-valve chest with means for taking otl laterally at either endthereof the exhaust of both ends.

8. A geared locomotive engine construction with vertically positionedjuxtaposed cylinders each having a central. admission and end exhaustpiston-valve chest with means for taking off at either end thereof theexhaust of both ends, said cylinders being counterpart units one ofwhich is reversed with relation to the others to shorten the length ofthe engine.

9. A cylinder and valve-chest construction having end exhaust cavitiesand an inlet cavity intermediate said cavities, together with meansinterconnecting the exhaust cavities and means for taking ofi' theexhaust at either end of the interconnection, the inlet cavity having aninlet connection lying between the cylinder and said exhaustinter-connecting means.

10. A cylinder and valve-chest construction having end exhaust cavitiesand an inlet cavity intermediate said cavities, together with a conduitinterconnecting the exhaust cavities and means whereby an exhaustconnection may be made at either end of said conduit.

11. A cylinder and valve-chest construction having end exhaust cavitiesand an inlet cavity intermediate said cavities. together with a passageinterconnecting the exhaust cavities, and a plurality of exhaust outletslying in one plane each having means adapt ed to receive either anexhaust connection or a closure cap.

12. A locomotive cylinder with a valvechest having a bore to receive apiston valve. and a fluid passage system including a cavity at each endof the bore and an interconnecting passage between said cavities with aport at each end for making a pipe connection at either end adjacentsaid chest.

13. A cylinder and valve-chest construction having admission and exhaustconnection openings lying in the same plane on one side thereof. saidplane substantially paralleling a longitudinal central plane through thecylinder and chest.

14. A cylinder and valve-chest construction having admission and exhaustopenings lying in the same plane on one side thereof, an inlet openingbeing positioned intermediate two exhaust openings and to one sidethereof.

15. An engine cylinder having means for mounting it upon either end. avalve chest positioned laterally of the cylinder, portage between eachend of the cylinder and said chest, interconnected cavities, one at eachend of the chest. adapted in turn to be connectedto a port, and means ofcommunication from the outside of said chest to either end of theinterconnection.

16. A cylinder and valve chest integral casting with the cylinder andchest portions thereof in parallel juxtaposition, the chest being oflesser diameter than the cylinder, said casting having admission andexhaust connection passages positioned laterally of the chest portionand lying in large part within the space determined by the difference indiameter of the chest and cylinder.

17 A cylinder and valve chest integral casting with the cylinder andchest portions thereof in parallel juxtaposition, the chest being oflesser diameter than the cylinder, said casting having admission andexhaust connection passages positioned laterally of the chestportion-and lying in large part within the space determined by thedifference in diameter of the chest and cylinder, the outer ends of saidconnection passages lying in substantially the same plane, said planesubstant ally paralleling a longitudinal central plane through thecylinder and chest.

18. A c linder and valve chest integral casting with the cylinder andchest portions thereof in parallel juxtaposition, the chest being oflesser diameter than the cylinder, said casting having admission andexhaust connection passages positioned laterally of the chest portionand lying in large part within the space determined by the difference indiameter of the chest and cylinder, together *ith means for mountingsaid casting at either end.

19. In a geared locomotive, a substantially horizontal row of verticallyextending counterpart cylinder castings, each casting having a pistonvalve chest formed integrally therewith, and steam connection passagesformed with each of said chests and all on the same side of the row.

20. in a geared locomotive, a substantially horizontal row of verticallyextending counterpart cylinder castings, each casting having a pistonvalve chest formed integrally therewith, and steam connection passagesformed with each of said chests and all on the same side of the row, oneof said cast ings being inverted, end for end, with respect to others ofthe row.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

DAVID B. THORBURN. ROBERT B. KRUEGEER

